Beet-topping machine



Aug. 31, 1926. 1,598,527 C. J. JENSEN BEET TOPPING MACI'IIPUL"Y Filed May '7, .1.925 3 Sheecsheet l @W3-fawn J Wmme Aug. 31,1926.' 1,598,527

C. J. JENSEN BEET TOPPING MACHINE Filed May '7, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 31,1926. 1,598,527

C. J. JENSEN BEET TOPPING MACHINE Filed May 7, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 W@ gj 5 sii,

WLM/woo Patented Aug. 31, 1926. I i. l

Unire stars Parser Fries.

CHRISTIAN J. JENSEN, OF ERES'ION, DAHO.

BEET-TOPPING MACHINE.

Application led May 7, 1925. Serial No. 28,683.

My invention relates to improvements in ing wheels 12 at its ends, one `or both of these beet topping machines of the type in which wheels having ratchet connections (not the topping means are carried by an auXilshown) with the axle. iary fiaine inovablyrconnected with the main Loosely mounted upon the axle 11, isa

frame of the machine, and in which a beetgear 13 which may be connected with said 60 engaging shoe is provided to vertically move axle by an appropriate clutch 13 which may the auxiliary frame to properly position well be controlled by a lever 14. rlhis gear the cutting blade with respect to the beets. meshes with a pinion 15 on a short transverse One object vof the invention is to provide shaft 16, the outer end of the latter being 1o topping means `of new and improved oonsupported by a bearing 17 under one side 65 struction and mounted in a novel manner bar 2, while its other end is similarly supupon the auxiliary frame. ported by a bearing 18 carried by one of Another aim is to provide unique inounta pair .of central longitudinal bars 19 whose ing and adjusting means for the beet-enends are suitably mounted at the front and gaging shoe, so that it may be vertically adrear portions the main frame. By means 70 justed with respect to the topping means of a sprocket chain 20 and suitable sprockor adjusted toward and from the latter, as ets, the shaft 16 drives a second transverse occasion may demand. I shaft 21 disposed near the front end of the A further aim is to provide an initia main frame and mounted in appropriate 20 topping knife mounted in a novel manner bearings 22 carried thereby, and by means 75 in advance of the final topping means, said of a beveled gear r23 and pinion 24, the shaft initial topping knife merely serving to re- 16 also drives a suitably mounted vertical move the greater part of the foliage from the shaft 25 whose lower end is provided with an beet tops, while the other topping means eccentric 26. llfhen the clutch 13 is thrown effectively remove the remaining stubble. in, the gear 13 drives the pinion 15 and the 8O A still further object of the invention is shaft 16, and the latter in turn drives the to provide a machine of the class set forth shafts 21 and 25, as will be readily underwhich is comparatively simple and inexpenstood. sive, yet will be very eflicient and easy to Downwardly'converging bars 27 and 28 3U operate. are suitably connected at their upper ends 85 W'ith the foregoing in view, the invention 'with the main frame, and at their lower ends, resides in the novel subject matter hereinthese bars carry a. transverse rod 29 by after described and claimed, the description means 4of which an auxiliary frame 30 is pivbeing supplemented by the accompanying loted to the main frame. 1n the preferred :15 drawings. form of construction, the frame 30 comprises 90 Figure 1 is a top plan view. two side bars 31 which are provided at their Figure 2 is a sider elevation partly broken rear ends with short upstanding standards away and in section. 32, said standards and bars being relatively Figure?) is a perspective view of the auX- braced by appropriate plates 33. The two i0 iliary frame and associated parts. standards 32 are connected by upper and 95 Figure l is a detail transverse sectional lower transverse bars 34; and 35 which form view on line 1 4 of Fig. 1. the rear end of the auxiliary frame 30, said In the drawings above briefly described, bars carrying upper and lower peripherally the numeral 1 designates a main frame which pglOOVed rollers 36 and'37. A blade-carrying preferably comprises side bars 2 connected frame 38'of substantially arched form, isclOO at their rear endg by a. cross bar 3 and havdisposed in a vertical transverse plane at ing their front ends l bent inwardly toward the rear end of the frame 30 and is provided each other, and suitably secured to a block with a horizontal top bar 39 which is re- 5 which is supported by a fork 6 having a ceived for reeiprocation between the upper front wheel 7` said fork havingan upstandand lower rollers 36 and 37, said frame being 105 ing spindle 8 ournaled in the block 5 and seconnected by a transversepitman 110 with the cured to tongue 9. Near their rear ends., eccentric 26. A'bla-de 4.1 is suitably connecttli'eside bars 2 are provided with bearings ed with the legsA of tl eine' `33, and said u 1U in. wh a "ear erle l1 ro'atabiy le may .be relai ve jrui'igivichr t te *il* .ttieuntedi aid asile havin' g drie ether te e, ,i

use, or to permit detachment thereof, for instance when it should be sharpened. rlhe means for springing the legs of the frame outwardly or inwardly preferably consist of a transverse bar 42 arranged between the legs as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings and the respective ends of which have a right and left hand threaded engagement with said legs. On the projecting ends of the bar nuts may be screwed. Draught links 43 are lpivoted to and extend forwardly from the legs of the frame 38, and the front ends of these links may be connected with the frame 30 in any desired manner. showing, one of the links is pivoted to an arm 44 projecting downwardly from a transverse shaft 44 which passes through openings in the side bars 31, and the other link 43 is pivoted to the lower end of a vertical bar 45 which is secured between its 4ends to the shaft 44. I have shown the upper end of this bar 45 connected with one of the side bars 3l by a strap 46, so that said bar 45 and the shaft 44 are held against movement with respect to the frame 30.

At 47, a shoe is shown in front of the frame 38 and under the frame 80, and in the present showing, this shoe 47 is provided with a pair of longitudinally extending, plate-like arms 48 whose front ends are piveted to a transverse rod 49. This rod is carried by crank arms 50 and 5l which project downwardly from a transverse rock shaft 52 carried by the front end portion of the auxiliary frame 30. The arm 50 is 4preferably formed by the lower end of a hand lever 53 which is secured to the shaft 52 for turning it, so as to move the shoe 47 forwardly or rearwardly, as occasion may demand. An appropriate pawl and rack 54 may well be provided for holding the lever 53 in adjustcd position.

Two rods 55 rise from the shoe 47 at the rear portion of the frame 30 and pass slidably through guide ears 56 carried by a hand lever 57 which is fulcrumed at 58 to a short standard 59 rising from the bar 34. The upper ends of these rods are provided with nuts G0 providing shoulders which engage the upper sides of the ears 56, and the lower sides of these ears are in contact with coiled compression springs Gl which surround the rods 55. rlhe lower ends of the springs Gl may either be connected to the rods 55, or may abut the upper side of the slice 47. ln either instance, when the lever 57 is swung in the proper direction to compress said springs, they will yieldably force the shoe 47 downwardly and will permit slight vertical yiel'ding thereof during operation of the machine, whereas swinging of the lever 57 to the other direction will cause the ears 56 to engage the nuts 60, thus elevating the shoe 47 to the desired adjusted relation, with respect to the blade 41. For holding the le- In the presentr knife 68 has been shown, said knife beingcarried by the lower end of a vertical shaft G4 whose upper end is provided with a pinion meshing with a beveled gear G6 on the shaft 21. rlhe shaft 64 has been shown rotatably mounted in an upper bearing 67 i and a lower bearing (38. rllhe bearing G7 is carried by the center of a transvers-n bar GS) whose ends are preferably bent rearwardly and secured to the bars 28. The hearing 68 is carried by a second transverse bar 7 O whose-ends are forwardly directed as at 7l and connected with the bars 28. The shaft (34 is provided with an appropriate sl'ioul'dcr or shoulders engaging its bearing means to hold it against descent, and it will be seen that by mounting this shaft in the manner shown, vertical adjustment of the auxiliary frame 30 will not affect said shaft or its driving connection with the shaft 2l.

For raising and lowering the frame f as occasion may demand, I have shown a chain 72 whose lower end is connected with the shaft 44, while its upper end is connected with a crank arm 73 on a transverse rock shaft 74 suitably mounted at one side of the main frame, said shaft 74 having an appropriate operating lever 7y o which may be locked in adjusted position by a pawl and rack 7 6.

Preferably used with the parts above described, are two disks 77 which straddle a row of beets to be topped, said disks leing suitably mounted on a transverse bar 78. which is connected by links 79 with crank arms S() and Sl on a transverse rock shaft which is appropriately mounted on the front end of the main frame l. The shaft provided with an upstanding arm S53 connected by a longitudinal link 84 with the lever 75, so that operation of this lever to raise the frame 3l and the beet topping means carried thereby, will also operate the shaft 82 to raise the disks 77. The bar 7S carrying the disks is preferably connectedl with the frame by inclined bars S5 secured to the former and pivoted to the latter.

During the operation. of the machine, the initial topping` knife removes mest of the foliage from the beet tops, the shoe 47 then engages the beets and as it rides over them. it swings the auxiliary frame 30 to properly position the knife or blade 4i'. with respect thereto, and this blade 4l which is being' reciprocated by the frame 3S and pitinan 40, effectively removes all remaining tops freni the beets, leaving them in r adiness to be dug.

Excellent results may be obtained from the general construction disclosed, and it is therefore preferably followed. However,

within the scope of the invention as claimed, modifications may of course be made.

I claim:

1.. A beet topper comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivoted at its front end to said main frame and having a transverse guideway at its rear end, a blade-carrying frame disposed vertically and mounted on said guideway for both reciprocatory and swinging movements, a transverse beet topping` blade carried by the lower portion of said blade-carrying frame, means for reciprocating the latter and draft links pivoted to said auxiliary frame and to the lower portion of said blade-carrying frame.

A beet topper comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivoted at its front end to said main frame, upper and lower grooved rollers mounted on the rear end of said auxiliary frame, a vertically disposed blade--carrying frame disposed transversely at vthe rear end of the auxiliary frame and having a horizontal top bar received for reciprocation between said upper and lower rollers, a beet topping blade carried by said vertically disposed frame, means for reciprocating said vertically disposed frame, draught links pivoted to said vertically disposed frame and to said auxiliary frame, and means for effecting vertical movements of the auxiliary frame to dispose said blade in proper relation with the beets.

A beet topper comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivoted at its front end to said main frame, beet topping means carried by the rear end of said auxiliary frame, a transverse rock shaft mounted near the front end of said auxiliary frame and having a pair of vertically projecting crank arms at its ends, a transverse rod carried by said crank arms, adjusting means for turning said shaft to forwardly or rearwardly move said rod, a longitudinally disposed beet engaging shoe connected at its front end to said rod, and means connecting the rear end of said shoe with the auxiliary frame, turning of the aforesaid shaft serving to vary the distance between the shoe and the beet topping means.

A beet topper comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivoted at its front end to said main frame, beet topping means carried by the rear end of said auxiliary frame, a transverse rock shaft mounted near the front end of said auxiliary frame and having a pair of vertically projecting crank arms at its ends, a transverse rod carried by said crank arms, adjusting means for turning said shaft to forwardly or rearwardly move said rod, a longitudinally disposed beet engaging shoe connected at its front end to said rod, and vertically adjustable connecting means between the rear portion of said shoe and the rear end of the auxiliary frame, turning of the aforesaid shaft servingto vary the distance between the shoe and the beettopping means.

5. A- beet topper comprising a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivoted at its front end. to said main frame, beet topping means caried by the rear end of said auxiliary frame, a longitudinally disposed beet engaging shoe connected at its front end with said auxiliary frame, a rod rising from the rear portion of said shoe, a raising and lowering lever for said rod mounted on the rear end of the auxiliary frame and having a guide through which the upper end of the rod passes slidably, said rod having a shoulder engaging the upper side of said guide, and a coiled compression spring around said rod engaging the lower side of said guide.

6. A beet topper comprising a main frame having a transverse driven shaft, an auxiliary frame under said main frame having final topping means at its rear end, bars projecting downwardly from the main frame, means pivoting the front end of the auxiliary frame to said bars on an axis below' said shaft, upper and lower transverse bars extending between the aforesaid bars and secured thereto, said transverse bars having central bearings, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said bearings, driving means connecting said vertical shaft with the above-named transverse shaft, and an initial topping knife carried by the lower end of said vertical shaft.

7. A beet topping machine comprising a main frame, beet topping means connected with said frame for vertical movements with respect thereto, a transverse rock shaft mounted on said frame for vertically moving said topping means, a pair of earth workers in advance of the topping means adapted to straddle a row of beets being topped, a transverse rock shaft connected with the earth workers for effecting vertical movement thereof, an operating connection between the two rock shafts for causing simultaneous turning thereof, and an operating leverfor one of said rock shafts.

8. A beet topper comprising an arched frame, a topping blade extending between and connected to the lower ends of the legs of said frame, and means extending between said legs for springing them outwardly or inwardly, the top bar of the frame being straight and being adapted for engagement with a guideway.

n testimony whereof I-havel hereunto affixed my signature.

cnr-cierran J. JENSEN. 

